My friend the mechanic asked me to do this, so I thought I would give it a try. The idea, apparently, is to make a list of 7 random things that people may, or may not, know about me.
I don't know if there are that many things that the 1 or 2 readers of this blog don't already know about me, but, like I said, I'm going to give it a try.
1.) I am completely color-blind. This effects a lot of things you wouldn't think about. The obvious ones, like putting together outfits, and pointing someone out in a crowd ("That guy in the blue shirt" is always met with a blank stare). However, nighttime driving is always and adventure. If I'm driving with Bibi, it's not unusual to hear me interrupt her mid-sentence with, "Red or yellow?" This is always in reference to the flashing stoplight that we are approaching. Another one, one that I don't even think Bibi knows about is our toothbrushes. Mine is a blue one, and Bibi's is pink. I can't tell which one is which without comparing them, which has led to more than a couple close calls.
2.) My appreciation of Frank Sinatra began Thanksgiving my Junior or Senior year in high school. I was watching a PBS special with my Uncle Steve at my Aunt Anne's annual Chilli dinner. It was about Sinatra's Duets CD, which was the first one I ever bought. I know have something like 20 CDs, and three albums. He still swings.
3.) I am anal-retentive beyond any comprehension by the casual observer. My CD's are still (mostly) alphabetized by genre (although since I don't really listen to CD's anymore I don't know how accurate they REALLY are), my records are alphabetized, my DVD's are alphabetized with a separate section for the tv shows, and my clothes are organized in such a way that I put all clothes that have been recently washed behind the clothes that havnen't been worn, so that I don't wear things more frequently. (It doesn't always work out that way, as I have one or two shirts that I almost never wear, and one or two that I love and therefore wear more often.) However, as I was telling Bibi a few days ago, my system on the iPod has gotten much more relaxed. For about two years now it has been my mission to "shuffle" manually all of the songs that I have rated 4 or 5 stars. (That's roughly 4, 596 songs.) Up until last May, I was on track to doing that. (Which meant a ridiculous amount of work and discipline in listening to the iPod; I couldn't necessarily listen to what song came up, if I had listened to a song on the same album, or by the same artist within the previous 9 songs. I know. Anal, no?) Anyway, last May Bibi's computer, the one with iTunes on it, broke down. Things kept on track for a while, but then the lack of "updates" made it so that the iPod kept stalling out on me. I have now been listening to any old artist of song that I want to for about two weeks and it's surprisingly freeing. (Mainly Bob Dylan and the Who, although Townes Van Zant and Jeffrey Foucault were in the mix for a couple of days last week.)
So, I'm getting better.
4. Bibi and I LOVE 7th Heaven. It's on from 5-7 Monday through Friday, and we make it a special point to watch at least one of those episodes. We really get into it. Cheesy as all heck, but darn it, that's good television. (I even tried whisper-talking like they do on the show, but I'm just too loud.)
5.) I am cutting down on coffee. At one time, a couple of years ago, I was up to two pots a day. About a month ago, I realized that the 12 cups a day might NOT be the most healthy choice I could make. So, I have cut down one cup every week, and I am now to around three cups a day. And, I am drinking lots of water while at work, which is awesome. (Coffee intake CAN be related to cold sores, and the one I have right now didn't even fully develop, which is awesome.)
6.) When Tim Russert died last May I took it really hard. Bibi and I watch Meet the Press and This Weekend with George Stephanopolous every weekend, and so Tim Russert dying really was like losing a friend. It was horribly cheesy, but I told Bibi sometime that weekend (he died on a Friday) that we had invited him into our home every week for almost two years, and it was going to be a strange and difficult process. What can I say, we like our political discussions.
7.) My marble project. Three weeks ago I began Grace's marble jar. I counted out the number of Saturdays between then and when Gracie turns 18, (864 of 'em) and placed that many glass stones in a big jar. Each Saturday before I go to bed, I take on out, recognizing that I will never get that Saturday back. It's been a really special reminder that the time I have with my little girl is finite, and that I need to make the best of what I have with her. Yesterday, I told Bibi that I wanted to change the project a little. I am going to be keeping all of those stones, and I'm going to give them to Grace on her 18th birthday, as a present; a reminder of all of those days that we had together for when she goes to college.
All right, that's all. I guess I'm supposed to tag some people, but I honestly don't know who all reads this, or if they have a blog or not. So...uh, if you are reading this, and if you have a blog, leave me a comment saying so, and then go do this too. (It was surprisingly hard and fun.)
All right, Happy Monday everyone!
Tommy
Monday, December 08, 2008
Monday, December 01, 2008
The Magic of Christmas
Yesterday was the Sunday after Thanksgiving. As a long standing personal tradition, it was also the day that marks the beginning of the Christmas season for me: I start listening to nothing but Christmas music, I put up my Christmas tree, and in general start thinking about what I should be doing to get ready for Christmas as far as presents for family and friends.
This is all quite new to my wife, as she was raised Sikh, and Christmas was not a part of her tradition.
This year has been somewhat different than usual. I am almost done with my Christmas shopping, for one thing, and I started listening to some Christmas music about a week or so ago. (It was a huge change for me, believe that...) However, I just wasn't quite feeling up to putting up the tree and the decorations. Until, that is, I woke up yesterday morning, to find a layer of beautiful white snow blanketing the ground. Then, I was pretty much ready to go.
So, after breakfast yesterday morning with the in-laws (which consisted of chocolate, coconut, and pumpkin pie!!) and a quick game of Taboo, Bibi, Grace and I headed back to our house to get started. Grace fell asleep along the way, and so Bibi and I made the multiple trips down to the basement to bring up our tree, ornaments, stockings, lights, and various other necessities. I put on the Christmas Music playlist on random, Bibi warmed up some hot cocoa, and we got out a plate of fudge cookies to munch on. Leo, tired from playing with his girlfriend Molly, fell fast asleep on his bed.
The tree went up quickly, the lights were strung up without difficulty, and the ornaments looked beautiful as the went on, one-by-one. We cleared off a prominent place for my Nativity Scene, and it was around this time that little Gracie awoke from her mid-day slumber. She came out of her room, and immediately wanted to be cuddled by Bibi. However, after a little mama-time, Gracie soon realized that there was something different in our living room. She spent the next four hours or so laughing and giggling and "oohing" and "ahing" at our tree. She was standing on the couch, reaching over the arm pointing to various ornaments, and blowing kisses to the gingerbread men. At one point, Bibi turned to me and said, "You know, they say that that children bring out the Magic of Christmas." And, even though this isn't Grace's first Christmas "technically", it really kind of is.
However, the best part for me was when I was putting our dinner in the oven, and Bibi was carrying Grace around the kitchen, telling her what all I was doing. Grace's attention was drawn to the Nativity Scene, and in particular the baby Jesus. Bibi started describing how Christmas-time is when we celebrate Jesus' soul coming to earth, and how this was a wonderful thing for all of humanity. Grace's reaction to the baby Jesus was priceless. She started cooing, and laughing her sweet little laugh, and all she wanted to do was hold the little baby Jesus figure. Her eyes got really big, and she just kept making this unbelievably magical sounds, as she marveled at the little statue in her hands.
It really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
(Sorry, that was cheesy.)
Thanks for stopping by...
Tommy
This is all quite new to my wife, as she was raised Sikh, and Christmas was not a part of her tradition.
This year has been somewhat different than usual. I am almost done with my Christmas shopping, for one thing, and I started listening to some Christmas music about a week or so ago. (It was a huge change for me, believe that...) However, I just wasn't quite feeling up to putting up the tree and the decorations. Until, that is, I woke up yesterday morning, to find a layer of beautiful white snow blanketing the ground. Then, I was pretty much ready to go.
So, after breakfast yesterday morning with the in-laws (which consisted of chocolate, coconut, and pumpkin pie!!) and a quick game of Taboo, Bibi, Grace and I headed back to our house to get started. Grace fell asleep along the way, and so Bibi and I made the multiple trips down to the basement to bring up our tree, ornaments, stockings, lights, and various other necessities. I put on the Christmas Music playlist on random, Bibi warmed up some hot cocoa, and we got out a plate of fudge cookies to munch on. Leo, tired from playing with his girlfriend Molly, fell fast asleep on his bed.
The tree went up quickly, the lights were strung up without difficulty, and the ornaments looked beautiful as the went on, one-by-one. We cleared off a prominent place for my Nativity Scene, and it was around this time that little Gracie awoke from her mid-day slumber. She came out of her room, and immediately wanted to be cuddled by Bibi. However, after a little mama-time, Gracie soon realized that there was something different in our living room. She spent the next four hours or so laughing and giggling and "oohing" and "ahing" at our tree. She was standing on the couch, reaching over the arm pointing to various ornaments, and blowing kisses to the gingerbread men. At one point, Bibi turned to me and said, "You know, they say that that children bring out the Magic of Christmas." And, even though this isn't Grace's first Christmas "technically", it really kind of is.
However, the best part for me was when I was putting our dinner in the oven, and Bibi was carrying Grace around the kitchen, telling her what all I was doing. Grace's attention was drawn to the Nativity Scene, and in particular the baby Jesus. Bibi started describing how Christmas-time is when we celebrate Jesus' soul coming to earth, and how this was a wonderful thing for all of humanity. Grace's reaction to the baby Jesus was priceless. She started cooing, and laughing her sweet little laugh, and all she wanted to do was hold the little baby Jesus figure. Her eyes got really big, and she just kept making this unbelievably magical sounds, as she marveled at the little statue in her hands.
It really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
(Sorry, that was cheesy.)
Thanks for stopping by...
Tommy
Sunday, November 02, 2008
This is God's country!
Or is it?
Gotta be honest...in reading the Bible a couple of times (something like 7 or 8 times, actually) I've yet to see the verse where God, or Jesus, or David, or Paul, or John, or...well, really anyone come to think of it, says anything at all about blessing or choosing or electing America as the chosen country.
There is this really strange parasitic/symbiotic relationship between evangelical Christians and the Republican party that really gets under my skin. You see, in reading the Bible, I did notice many times where God, Jesus, Paul, etc. talk about the whole world being God's chosen. So, while I understand the Republican party focusing more on this country and "our" interests, I do not understand the stance taken up by many Christians that America is God's country. It just doesn't click for me. I think that God has used America, to be sure; but just because God used a donkey to talk to Balaam doesn't mean that the donkey is the new chosen people, you know what I'm saying?
I think, actually, what is happening is much worse than a mere misunderstanding of theology. (As if that would be no big deal.) I think that by perpetuating this idea that America is a Christian country, and that our focus should be on God first and America second, we separate that which God has put together; i.e. the world as a whole.
I read a book a few months ago about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa. In it, Desmond Tutu talks about how we actually harm ourselves when we de-humanize or denigrate others. And, I think by putting Americans above others, which is an act of dehumanizing or devalueing, we as Christians actually diminish a huge blessing that God wants us to have. We are a brotherhood of humanity. God made everyone on this planet, not just the white ones, or the ones who have already accepted Jesus in their hearts. Because we are all connected, and because of the bond we all have through God's presence, when we say that others aren't as important as we are, becuase of their geographical and national boundaries, we are actually mocking God, and that's never a good idea.
So, when the Republican party talks about how we as Americans should be putting America first, that makes sense, because that very well may be their goal. But when Christians start talking about that, regardless of political affiliation, I think that they may be missing something.
What are your thoughts?
Thanks for stopping by...
Tommy
Gotta be honest...in reading the Bible a couple of times (something like 7 or 8 times, actually) I've yet to see the verse where God, or Jesus, or David, or Paul, or John, or...well, really anyone come to think of it, says anything at all about blessing or choosing or electing America as the chosen country.
There is this really strange parasitic/symbiotic relationship between evangelical Christians and the Republican party that really gets under my skin. You see, in reading the Bible, I did notice many times where God, Jesus, Paul, etc. talk about the whole world being God's chosen. So, while I understand the Republican party focusing more on this country and "our" interests, I do not understand the stance taken up by many Christians that America is God's country. It just doesn't click for me. I think that God has used America, to be sure; but just because God used a donkey to talk to Balaam doesn't mean that the donkey is the new chosen people, you know what I'm saying?
I think, actually, what is happening is much worse than a mere misunderstanding of theology. (As if that would be no big deal.) I think that by perpetuating this idea that America is a Christian country, and that our focus should be on God first and America second, we separate that which God has put together; i.e. the world as a whole.
I read a book a few months ago about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa. In it, Desmond Tutu talks about how we actually harm ourselves when we de-humanize or denigrate others. And, I think by putting Americans above others, which is an act of dehumanizing or devalueing, we as Christians actually diminish a huge blessing that God wants us to have. We are a brotherhood of humanity. God made everyone on this planet, not just the white ones, or the ones who have already accepted Jesus in their hearts. Because we are all connected, and because of the bond we all have through God's presence, when we say that others aren't as important as we are, becuase of their geographical and national boundaries, we are actually mocking God, and that's never a good idea.
So, when the Republican party talks about how we as Americans should be putting America first, that makes sense, because that very well may be their goal. But when Christians start talking about that, regardless of political affiliation, I think that they may be missing something.
What are your thoughts?
Thanks for stopping by...
Tommy
Monday, October 27, 2008
The inevitable pre-election divisive issue blog post. (Or, how it's possible to be voting for Barack Obama BECAUSE I'm pro-life.)
Ok, so it was bound to happen eventually, right? I mean, I do write about a lot of things on this blog that I have strong opinions about, so it was going to happen sooner or later...right?
Anyway, here goes.
Growing up I was a dyed in the wool staunch Republican, complete with the obligatory Rush is Right t-shirt and the khaki pants button down shirt that went with it. I read Limbaugh's entire canon, and thought he was Ronald Reagan reincarnated. (Not really, we Republicans didn't hanker to no "re-in-car-nation.") That meant that I was pro-life, and any no-good, two-bit, lousy politician who didn't vote to get rid of Roe Vs. Wade was just asking to get voted out of office. No, seriously. I really did think that.
Well, going along with my discussion earlier about recognizing the complexity of certain issues, and realizing that there are multiple ways to look at things, I wanted to talk to you all (yes, both of you) about what being pro-life means to me now.
(Stipulation: Almost all of this can be found in the Jim Wallis book, "God's Politics: Why the Right Gets it Wrong, and the Left Doesn't Get It".)
Being pro-life means much, much more than thinking that the number of abortions committed in this country is a travesty. Being pro-life means attempting to hold on to a consistent ethic of the sanctity of human life--where ever that life may be. This has numerous ramifications, much more then the obvious abortion issue that gets focused on so much.
Being pro-life means that I want to eliminate the causes of, or perceived reasons for abortions in this country; rampant poverty, both generational and situational; a government that practices generous corporate welfare and cringes at the mere mention of government assistance for the poor as "socialism"; sky-rocketing health care costs, and a cultural acceptance of chauvinism and sexism that perpetuates the ideas that women are inferior and subject to the whim and desires of men. (Don't throw the Bible verses about women being subject to men in my face; if you've read those verses, don't stop there--the very next half of the verse talks about husbands serving their wives like Jesus serves the church, in humility, with compassion, and with a perfect and Godly love.) All of these issues combine to form a perfect storm of challenges that face too many families and individuals in this country. We Christians should be ashamed, utterly and totally ashamed that we are spending so much time and energy trying to stop women from getting abortions without paying any attention whatsoever to WHY they feel the need to get one. Instead of picketing Planned Parenthood and the various doctors who offer these painful and costly (both mentally and spiritually) procedures, we should be picketing the senators and congress-people who provide tax benefits to the wealthy but forget about the millions of Americans are working their asses off every day to make ends meet; we should be picketing the insurance companies who make it their goals to deny claims for health care, and exploit those who do not have the adequate resources at their disposal to fend for themselves. Until we focus on the causes of abortions, we should all be ashamed of ourselves.
But, as I was saying, a consistent ethic of the sanctity of human life doesn't stop at birth. Therefore being pro-life, for me, means believing that health care should in fact be a right, not a privilege. America is one of only two countries in the world that doesn't have some form of universal health care provided by the government. And, to the immediate cry of "socialism!" that I will hear, I say this: Either you have a private company, whose only objective is make a profit--NOT to provide the best health care it can, or you have a government, imperfect as it may be, which may slow things down a bit, but that will ensure that everyone, from the least of us, to the greatest of us, will be guaranteed basic and necessary health care. Again, until we as Christians make this a priority, we are not even close to hitting the mark set out for us.
Pro-life for me means that I can not support the death penalty. I do recognize and admit that there are numerous verses in both the Old and New Testaments that can be and often are used to support the idea of capital punishment, but my understanding of Jesus' words are that we are called to love those who hate us, and to forgive those who harm us. Therefore, I can only hope and pray that our nation--and, dare I say our world-- move beyond the idea of punishing someone into being better, and work towards loving people enough that they become better. I know, that is pie in the sky, but what is more "pie in the sky" then a God who loved the world enough...?
Being pro-life means that I am completely and totally against unjust and unrighteous wars. Being pro-life means that I believe in and acknowledge, and respect, and value the life of someone who I have never met, who lives very far away from me, has a different skin color, and who worships--or doesnt!--different than me. The civilian casualities in Iraq and Afghanistan are not "collatoral damage". They are devastating losses of life, no less devastating than that of the unborn child that most American Christian's pray for.
I know that what I've typed here today is going to rub some of you the wrong way. I know that it may indeed anger some of you. I invite your comments, your criticisms, and your questions; I only ask that we keep any conversation civil.
Respectfully, and thankfully...
Tommy
Anyway, here goes.
Growing up I was a dyed in the wool staunch Republican, complete with the obligatory Rush is Right t-shirt and the khaki pants button down shirt that went with it. I read Limbaugh's entire canon, and thought he was Ronald Reagan reincarnated. (Not really, we Republicans didn't hanker to no "re-in-car-nation.") That meant that I was pro-life, and any no-good, two-bit, lousy politician who didn't vote to get rid of Roe Vs. Wade was just asking to get voted out of office. No, seriously. I really did think that.
Well, going along with my discussion earlier about recognizing the complexity of certain issues, and realizing that there are multiple ways to look at things, I wanted to talk to you all (yes, both of you) about what being pro-life means to me now.
(Stipulation: Almost all of this can be found in the Jim Wallis book, "God's Politics: Why the Right Gets it Wrong, and the Left Doesn't Get It".)
Being pro-life means much, much more than thinking that the number of abortions committed in this country is a travesty. Being pro-life means attempting to hold on to a consistent ethic of the sanctity of human life--where ever that life may be. This has numerous ramifications, much more then the obvious abortion issue that gets focused on so much.
Being pro-life means that I want to eliminate the causes of, or perceived reasons for abortions in this country; rampant poverty, both generational and situational; a government that practices generous corporate welfare and cringes at the mere mention of government assistance for the poor as "socialism"; sky-rocketing health care costs, and a cultural acceptance of chauvinism and sexism that perpetuates the ideas that women are inferior and subject to the whim and desires of men. (Don't throw the Bible verses about women being subject to men in my face; if you've read those verses, don't stop there--the very next half of the verse talks about husbands serving their wives like Jesus serves the church, in humility, with compassion, and with a perfect and Godly love.) All of these issues combine to form a perfect storm of challenges that face too many families and individuals in this country. We Christians should be ashamed, utterly and totally ashamed that we are spending so much time and energy trying to stop women from getting abortions without paying any attention whatsoever to WHY they feel the need to get one. Instead of picketing Planned Parenthood and the various doctors who offer these painful and costly (both mentally and spiritually) procedures, we should be picketing the senators and congress-people who provide tax benefits to the wealthy but forget about the millions of Americans are working their asses off every day to make ends meet; we should be picketing the insurance companies who make it their goals to deny claims for health care, and exploit those who do not have the adequate resources at their disposal to fend for themselves. Until we focus on the causes of abortions, we should all be ashamed of ourselves.
But, as I was saying, a consistent ethic of the sanctity of human life doesn't stop at birth. Therefore being pro-life, for me, means believing that health care should in fact be a right, not a privilege. America is one of only two countries in the world that doesn't have some form of universal health care provided by the government. And, to the immediate cry of "socialism!" that I will hear, I say this: Either you have a private company, whose only objective is make a profit--NOT to provide the best health care it can, or you have a government, imperfect as it may be, which may slow things down a bit, but that will ensure that everyone, from the least of us, to the greatest of us, will be guaranteed basic and necessary health care. Again, until we as Christians make this a priority, we are not even close to hitting the mark set out for us.
Pro-life for me means that I can not support the death penalty. I do recognize and admit that there are numerous verses in both the Old and New Testaments that can be and often are used to support the idea of capital punishment, but my understanding of Jesus' words are that we are called to love those who hate us, and to forgive those who harm us. Therefore, I can only hope and pray that our nation--and, dare I say our world-- move beyond the idea of punishing someone into being better, and work towards loving people enough that they become better. I know, that is pie in the sky, but what is more "pie in the sky" then a God who loved the world enough...?
Being pro-life means that I am completely and totally against unjust and unrighteous wars. Being pro-life means that I believe in and acknowledge, and respect, and value the life of someone who I have never met, who lives very far away from me, has a different skin color, and who worships--or doesnt!--different than me. The civilian casualities in Iraq and Afghanistan are not "collatoral damage". They are devastating losses of life, no less devastating than that of the unborn child that most American Christian's pray for.
I know that what I've typed here today is going to rub some of you the wrong way. I know that it may indeed anger some of you. I invite your comments, your criticisms, and your questions; I only ask that we keep any conversation civil.
Respectfully, and thankfully...
Tommy
Sunday, October 26, 2008
The $150,000 Question...
I recently read a friend's blog post which was about the media's new found obsession with Sarah Palin's expensive wardrobe, and the media's pass on Barack Obama's record-shattering campaign fundraising. The argument goes, in a nutshell, that Barack Obama is spending bazillion's of dollars on his campaign, and that, in comparison, the relatively small amount Sarah Palin spent on clothes shouldn't matter.
Two thoughts:
1.) I think the reason I'm a little bit shocked by the amount Ms. Palin spent on clothes is that is was donated money; money that hard working people donated to the Republican ticket in hopes that it would be spent on something worthwhile in getting Senator McCain and Governor Palin elected. It is arguable whether or not $150,000 in clothes for the Governor actually respects the intentions of those donors. Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I did not donate to the McCain campaign, so it would be difficult for me to say definitively whether this is true or not. However, it would be my guess that most people donated to the McCain-Palin campaign, NOT to the McCain-Palin closet.
2.) The idea that Barack Obama is somehow in the wrong because more people then ever before have been energized and motivated to donate on a small scale boggles the mind. And, in the interest of full disclosure, I can say this definitively, because my wife and I have donated $100 to Senator Obama's campaign. (We did this in two installments, each of $50.) See, here's the thing, Senator Obama has inspired, motivated and encouraged so many people to see the need to contribute in any small way that they can. It actually brings to mind the parable of the widow in the Bible. For those of you not up to date on your New Testament stories, it goes like this: There once was this old lady who had practically nothing. She left the temple shortly after a rich man who gave a whole bunch to the church. As the old lady left, she put in a few pennies, worth practically nothing. However, the point of the story was that because the old lady gave from her "little", it counted for more then the big donation the wealthy guy gave, which didn't really matter to him, because he had plenty. And, what we have in the Obama campaign is a whole lot of people giving out of their "little" to the point where it has added up to more money then any candidate in the history of the United States has ever had available. This is a powerful concept. Across this great nation more of the little guys, not the Joe the Plumber's who are apparently raking it in to the tune of more then $250,000 a year, but the teachers and stay-at-home moms who are making $42,000 a year are donating to a cause they feel is going to change the world. Not just America, but the world.
So, Sarah Palin can go buy all the clothes she wants from the money that she and John McCain have raised. I don't know if that's what the donors wanted, but that's because my money is going to a candidate who I feel represents me and my desires for change. (Not a change of clothes.)
Thanks...
Tommy
Two thoughts:
1.) I think the reason I'm a little bit shocked by the amount Ms. Palin spent on clothes is that is was donated money; money that hard working people donated to the Republican ticket in hopes that it would be spent on something worthwhile in getting Senator McCain and Governor Palin elected. It is arguable whether or not $150,000 in clothes for the Governor actually respects the intentions of those donors. Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I did not donate to the McCain campaign, so it would be difficult for me to say definitively whether this is true or not. However, it would be my guess that most people donated to the McCain-Palin campaign, NOT to the McCain-Palin closet.
2.) The idea that Barack Obama is somehow in the wrong because more people then ever before have been energized and motivated to donate on a small scale boggles the mind. And, in the interest of full disclosure, I can say this definitively, because my wife and I have donated $100 to Senator Obama's campaign. (We did this in two installments, each of $50.) See, here's the thing, Senator Obama has inspired, motivated and encouraged so many people to see the need to contribute in any small way that they can. It actually brings to mind the parable of the widow in the Bible. For those of you not up to date on your New Testament stories, it goes like this: There once was this old lady who had practically nothing. She left the temple shortly after a rich man who gave a whole bunch to the church. As the old lady left, she put in a few pennies, worth practically nothing. However, the point of the story was that because the old lady gave from her "little", it counted for more then the big donation the wealthy guy gave, which didn't really matter to him, because he had plenty. And, what we have in the Obama campaign is a whole lot of people giving out of their "little" to the point where it has added up to more money then any candidate in the history of the United States has ever had available. This is a powerful concept. Across this great nation more of the little guys, not the Joe the Plumber's who are apparently raking it in to the tune of more then $250,000 a year, but the teachers and stay-at-home moms who are making $42,000 a year are donating to a cause they feel is going to change the world. Not just America, but the world.
So, Sarah Palin can go buy all the clothes she wants from the money that she and John McCain have raised. I don't know if that's what the donors wanted, but that's because my money is going to a candidate who I feel represents me and my desires for change. (Not a change of clothes.)
Thanks...
Tommy
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Special Comment (not by Keith Olberman)
I just wanted to let you all know why I deleted the comment in the previous post, by someone who calls themself "Rocky2". I don't normally believe in censorship, as a rule, and I do support the right to speak your mind. However, I do want to uphold a certain level of intellectual integrity, and when I think your comment is a spam comment half way through, and then all sense of coherence and logic flys out the window, I don't feel that your comment meets the needs of this blog.
Having said that, I do indeed welcome any and all comments given in good faith. You don't have to agree with me, but, as I tell my students...you do need to prove it to me.
Commence discussing...
Having said that, I do indeed welcome any and all comments given in good faith. You don't have to agree with me, but, as I tell my students...you do need to prove it to me.
Commence discussing...
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Don't Stop...Believin'...
So, why did I make the title of this post the title of a song from a 70's and 80's rock band? Because! I've realized that life is a Journey. (Get it?!)
I know, that was cheesy.
Anyway, I actually do have a reason for this post. I don't know if you guys realize, but there is an election coming up. And, as so often happens with politics, the national dialogue has become very passionate, very heated, very polarized. That almost seems inevitable, doesn't it? I mean, there are very legitimate, very distinct differences between "positions" in this country. But, I have hope...hope that this isn't so inevitable...so, unavoidable. (Hence, the title...?)
As I have discussed and debated with friends and coworkers, family members, and random people I meet on the street, this division between positions has become more and more obvious, more and more pronounced. Don't even get me started on the talking heads that dominate the political culture on tv and radio. With very few exceptions, the distance between us is emphasized far more then that which connects us. And, the reality of this life is, that we are absolutely NOTHING without that connection between us.
Now, a little disclaimer here, I'm about to talk about religion. So, if you are one who thinks that religion and politics should remain separated, please be warned.
I'm a born-again Christian. I believe the Bible is indeed the word of God. Having read the Bible, a couple of times, I am comfortable "admitting" that there are troubling spots, passages that "seem" contradictory, that seem to...almost lend themselves to a variety of interpretations. I wouldn't have always allowed for that possibility...when I was younger, I was much more a "black and white" kind of a guy. (Just ask my family...!) However, as I've grown older, experienced more of life, read more, seen more, and grown to understand God more, I have realized that it is the gray areas that we should EMBRACE...not hide from. These gray areas are a very integral part of human existence...and, because I believe that God became human and hung around down here, I think God understands what human existence is like. I think God "gets it".
In fact, I kind of think it's part of God's plan.
Stay with me here, if you're still here at all.
If you look at the broader themes of the Old and New Testaments, there is an underlying progression that is deceptively simple, but complex, none the less. In the Old Testament, God was an angry God. Fire and brimstone, eye for an eye, laying waste to whole countries, and entire peoples. Pretty graphic; almost like a Tarrantino movie, you know? But, in the New Testament, we get this seemingly abrupt change, where Jesus talks about forgiveness, and loving your neighbor, and so on.
To me, this speaks of a bigger concept. As we humans go through our lives, it is our ultimate goal that we move beyond black and whites to much more complex ways of living our faith, our philosophy. Jesus' words were so much more then just "think good thoughts". Jesus issued a challenge that is much more difficult, and therefore much, much more meaningful then what actually happens for MOST of us. What does LOVING your neighbor mean?
I think it means that if our neighbor has a McCain-Palin sign in their front yard, I need to understand that there are probably very sincere and heartfelt reasons behind that choice. If I am truly "loving" them, I will not diminish the ideas they have by saying they are red-neck, gun-toting, hillbillies, who are dead set on taking away the rights of individuals, who are all out to bash gay people, and who probably want to make us all bow down in the same pew at church. That, to me, isn't being very loving. (It doesn't, of course, mean that I have to agree with them.)
The flipside is also true. I am, as I said, a pro-life born-again Christian, who is absolutely dying to cast my vote for Barack Obama as the next president of the United States of America. Now, unlike what was recently said on my wife's blog, I am not voting for Senator Obama because I want to kill babies. Seriously, I really don't. I have read Mr. Obama's direction on abortion, and feel like he understands the complexity of this issue.
Two things--one, did you notice I've used the word complex a lot? These issues are complex...they are not simple. They are NOT black and white; and, two, did you notice that I used the word "direction" instead of "position"? I kind of feel like that's what we should have...directions...not positions, or stances. Abortion is a horrible, awful, painful, difficult, and ugly thing. And, more often then some of us would like to admit, it is seen as necessary by those who choose it.
Our goal should not be to eliminate the ability for women to have an abortion. Our goal should be to eliminate--in as much as we can--the NEED, perceived or otherwise, for abortions. Now, who among us can't agree with that? Are you seriously going to stand (or sit) there, and tell me that you don't really care to address the needs of the women who feel pressed into this difficult spot? So, we have common ground. We ALL want to make abortions as unnecessary as possible. Now, the discussion can continue as we express how we want to go about doing this. But, we can all keep in mind that, Democrats or Republicans, Socialists or Capitalists, Evangelicals or Atheists (and everything in between), we all have a goal in common...and this makes solving our problems much, much more possible.
There are more issues that could be discussed, but I want to leave you tonight with a summing up of my point, which is that, regardless of who you are voting for, regardless of WHY you are voting for that candidate...there is ALWAYS common ground to start from in our conversations...and there is always a connection between us as humans. I think that this commonality is that we are all connected to God. Some people call it the Divine Spark, some call it the Holy Spirit, some would quote Jeremiah, the Old Testament prophet who said that before we were born, God knew us. That doesn't refer to SOME of us...it means that God hand-made ALL of us, and therefore, we all have God in us, and it is that "God-in-us" that we should ALL strive to see.
As the Sikh teacher Siri Singh Sahib said, "If you can't see God in all, you can't see God at all."
Thanks, and God bless us...ALL of us.
Tommy
PS: Oh, and JNo, although I don't think Hulsof is horrible, Jay Nixon has my vote, for two reasons: Health Care and Education; in particular his desire to expand the A+ program to include two years AFTER the two years at community college. I think he's got good ideas.
I know, that was cheesy.
Anyway, I actually do have a reason for this post. I don't know if you guys realize, but there is an election coming up. And, as so often happens with politics, the national dialogue has become very passionate, very heated, very polarized. That almost seems inevitable, doesn't it? I mean, there are very legitimate, very distinct differences between "positions" in this country. But, I have hope...hope that this isn't so inevitable...so, unavoidable. (Hence, the title...?)
As I have discussed and debated with friends and coworkers, family members, and random people I meet on the street, this division between positions has become more and more obvious, more and more pronounced. Don't even get me started on the talking heads that dominate the political culture on tv and radio. With very few exceptions, the distance between us is emphasized far more then that which connects us. And, the reality of this life is, that we are absolutely NOTHING without that connection between us.
Now, a little disclaimer here, I'm about to talk about religion. So, if you are one who thinks that religion and politics should remain separated, please be warned.
I'm a born-again Christian. I believe the Bible is indeed the word of God. Having read the Bible, a couple of times, I am comfortable "admitting" that there are troubling spots, passages that "seem" contradictory, that seem to...almost lend themselves to a variety of interpretations. I wouldn't have always allowed for that possibility...when I was younger, I was much more a "black and white" kind of a guy. (Just ask my family...!) However, as I've grown older, experienced more of life, read more, seen more, and grown to understand God more, I have realized that it is the gray areas that we should EMBRACE...not hide from. These gray areas are a very integral part of human existence...and, because I believe that God became human and hung around down here, I think God understands what human existence is like. I think God "gets it".
In fact, I kind of think it's part of God's plan.
Stay with me here, if you're still here at all.
If you look at the broader themes of the Old and New Testaments, there is an underlying progression that is deceptively simple, but complex, none the less. In the Old Testament, God was an angry God. Fire and brimstone, eye for an eye, laying waste to whole countries, and entire peoples. Pretty graphic; almost like a Tarrantino movie, you know? But, in the New Testament, we get this seemingly abrupt change, where Jesus talks about forgiveness, and loving your neighbor, and so on.
To me, this speaks of a bigger concept. As we humans go through our lives, it is our ultimate goal that we move beyond black and whites to much more complex ways of living our faith, our philosophy. Jesus' words were so much more then just "think good thoughts". Jesus issued a challenge that is much more difficult, and therefore much, much more meaningful then what actually happens for MOST of us. What does LOVING your neighbor mean?
I think it means that if our neighbor has a McCain-Palin sign in their front yard, I need to understand that there are probably very sincere and heartfelt reasons behind that choice. If I am truly "loving" them, I will not diminish the ideas they have by saying they are red-neck, gun-toting, hillbillies, who are dead set on taking away the rights of individuals, who are all out to bash gay people, and who probably want to make us all bow down in the same pew at church. That, to me, isn't being very loving. (It doesn't, of course, mean that I have to agree with them.)
The flipside is also true. I am, as I said, a pro-life born-again Christian, who is absolutely dying to cast my vote for Barack Obama as the next president of the United States of America. Now, unlike what was recently said on my wife's blog, I am not voting for Senator Obama because I want to kill babies. Seriously, I really don't. I have read Mr. Obama's direction on abortion, and feel like he understands the complexity of this issue.
Two things--one, did you notice I've used the word complex a lot? These issues are complex...they are not simple. They are NOT black and white; and, two, did you notice that I used the word "direction" instead of "position"? I kind of feel like that's what we should have...directions...not positions, or stances. Abortion is a horrible, awful, painful, difficult, and ugly thing. And, more often then some of us would like to admit, it is seen as necessary by those who choose it.
Our goal should not be to eliminate the ability for women to have an abortion. Our goal should be to eliminate--in as much as we can--the NEED, perceived or otherwise, for abortions. Now, who among us can't agree with that? Are you seriously going to stand (or sit) there, and tell me that you don't really care to address the needs of the women who feel pressed into this difficult spot? So, we have common ground. We ALL want to make abortions as unnecessary as possible. Now, the discussion can continue as we express how we want to go about doing this. But, we can all keep in mind that, Democrats or Republicans, Socialists or Capitalists, Evangelicals or Atheists (and everything in between), we all have a goal in common...and this makes solving our problems much, much more possible.
There are more issues that could be discussed, but I want to leave you tonight with a summing up of my point, which is that, regardless of who you are voting for, regardless of WHY you are voting for that candidate...there is ALWAYS common ground to start from in our conversations...and there is always a connection between us as humans. I think that this commonality is that we are all connected to God. Some people call it the Divine Spark, some call it the Holy Spirit, some would quote Jeremiah, the Old Testament prophet who said that before we were born, God knew us. That doesn't refer to SOME of us...it means that God hand-made ALL of us, and therefore, we all have God in us, and it is that "God-in-us" that we should ALL strive to see.
As the Sikh teacher Siri Singh Sahib said, "If you can't see God in all, you can't see God at all."
Thanks, and God bless us...ALL of us.
Tommy
PS: Oh, and JNo, although I don't think Hulsof is horrible, Jay Nixon has my vote, for two reasons: Health Care and Education; in particular his desire to expand the A+ program to include two years AFTER the two years at community college. I think he's got good ideas.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Weekend Update
Hey everyone. More will come, but I really wanted to let people know about my wife's most recent post. It's an open letter to Governor Sarah Palin, and it can be found at mamasense.blogspot.com.
I would give it a preface and context and all that, but, well, she's a much better writer then I am, so it seems a bit redundant, and a waste of your time. So, go on over there and check it out. The title of the post is: "Real Amerca: Letter to Sarah Palin".
And, I'm not posting on this site again until ALL of you go check it out.
Seriously.
I'm not kidding.
Tommy
I would give it a preface and context and all that, but, well, she's a much better writer then I am, so it seems a bit redundant, and a waste of your time. So, go on over there and check it out. The title of the post is: "Real Amerca: Letter to Sarah Palin".
And, I'm not posting on this site again until ALL of you go check it out.
Seriously.
I'm not kidding.
Tommy
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Barack Obama Isn't Jesus. (He's Nehemiah.)
Ok, so I don't ACTUALLY think that Barack Obama is the reincarnation of the Old Testament figure Nehemiah. However, I do want to put forth that as far as a Biblical comparisons, you could do worse.
Why make the comparison at all? Well, those of us who are quite fond of the work that Senator Obama has done (so far) are frequently attacked for ascribing messianic characteristics to our favorite presidential nominee. (I don't actually know anyone who has claimed that they think Obama is our savior; not saying it hasn't happened, but I haven't seen it.) So, apparently, being enthusiastic about someone who is doing good works means that we have a horrible case of ObamaisJesusitis.
I would disagree. I don't think that if Senator Obama wins, all of our worldly troubles will vanish in the blink of an eye, that dogs and cats are going to start living together or anything. Hardly. It's not like the guy is perfect. He's just someone who (I think) is incredibly capable in the arena of bringing people together for a common cause, and someone who knows the proper balance between civic responsibility and faith-inspired duty.
Which brings me to my original topic.
Nehemiah was a civil servant. (He was the King's food taster.) Upon realizing the hardships that people were facing in rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, he asked for permission to leave his post in the King's presence, and go to work with his fellow Israelites. Senator Obama left his cushy job in the halls of academia to go to work as a community organizer. He saw the difficulties people were having in their every day life, and saw a position he could fill.
Both Nehemiah and Senator Obama were/are able to rally people around a common goal and to get people to work together for that common good. (Interestingly enough, Nehemiah's opponents ridiculed him openly by saying that the wall would never be fixed b/c there wasn't enough tax revenue to do so, and that raising taxes was the only option. Of course, that doesn't parallel to Senator Obama's work at all...oh...wait, it kind of does, doesn't it?)
Finally, Nehemiah knew that in order to get the people together, the task had to be blessed by God, but that just as important in the grand scheme of things was inspiring and assisting people to work together NOT for their own interests, but for the common good. Rebuilding the wall could certainly be described, if one was so inclined, as a "socialist" activity. (I mean, why couldn't the King subcontract that job out to the highest...er, lowest bidder, "Haliburtoniah?")
And, Senator Obama, in my very humble opinion, understands the need to balance individual responsibility and social responsibility. This plays out very differently for Mr. Obama then it does for most Republicans, but it is no less sincere and legitimate in it's differences.
But, that might be better saved for another time....
Anyway, thanks for stopping by...
Tommy
Why make the comparison at all? Well, those of us who are quite fond of the work that Senator Obama has done (so far) are frequently attacked for ascribing messianic characteristics to our favorite presidential nominee. (I don't actually know anyone who has claimed that they think Obama is our savior; not saying it hasn't happened, but I haven't seen it.) So, apparently, being enthusiastic about someone who is doing good works means that we have a horrible case of ObamaisJesusitis.
I would disagree. I don't think that if Senator Obama wins, all of our worldly troubles will vanish in the blink of an eye, that dogs and cats are going to start living together or anything. Hardly. It's not like the guy is perfect. He's just someone who (I think) is incredibly capable in the arena of bringing people together for a common cause, and someone who knows the proper balance between civic responsibility and faith-inspired duty.
Which brings me to my original topic.
Nehemiah was a civil servant. (He was the King's food taster.) Upon realizing the hardships that people were facing in rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, he asked for permission to leave his post in the King's presence, and go to work with his fellow Israelites. Senator Obama left his cushy job in the halls of academia to go to work as a community organizer. He saw the difficulties people were having in their every day life, and saw a position he could fill.
Both Nehemiah and Senator Obama were/are able to rally people around a common goal and to get people to work together for that common good. (Interestingly enough, Nehemiah's opponents ridiculed him openly by saying that the wall would never be fixed b/c there wasn't enough tax revenue to do so, and that raising taxes was the only option. Of course, that doesn't parallel to Senator Obama's work at all...oh...wait, it kind of does, doesn't it?)
Finally, Nehemiah knew that in order to get the people together, the task had to be blessed by God, but that just as important in the grand scheme of things was inspiring and assisting people to work together NOT for their own interests, but for the common good. Rebuilding the wall could certainly be described, if one was so inclined, as a "socialist" activity. (I mean, why couldn't the King subcontract that job out to the highest...er, lowest bidder, "Haliburtoniah?")
And, Senator Obama, in my very humble opinion, understands the need to balance individual responsibility and social responsibility. This plays out very differently for Mr. Obama then it does for most Republicans, but it is no less sincere and legitimate in it's differences.
But, that might be better saved for another time....
Anyway, thanks for stopping by...
Tommy
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Is there anybody out there? (Or, We Won't Get Fooled Again)
Hi.
So, it's been a while, no?
Yeah, sorry about that.
Last time I posted was sometime last school year. (I think it was near the end of the year, at least.) Obviously a lot has changed since then. I taught summer school, celebrated my daughter's first birthday, celebrated my second wedding anniversary, turned 30, went on a family vacation, and saw My Morning Jacket in concert. (It was GREAT.)
So, in case you haven't noticed, there's this election going on. And, since I kind of pay a little attention to it, I thought I might jot down a few notes here. Now, nothing I right here originates with me. Most of what I will be writing can be found, albeit better written, somewhere else on the internet. I just wanted to put what I thought went well together, here.
So, with that in mind, I will now give my two cents.
I have just a couple of thoughts on the candidates, and the majority of my focus will be on something else.
Senator McCain is a great American hero. He fought hard for our country in the military, and served our country admirably for many years as an elected official. For these years of service, we do owe Mr. McCain a debt of gratitude. We do NOT owe him our votes for President of the United States. Senator McCain has disappointed me a great deal in the past year or so. The John McCain we see now is NOT the John McCain we saw in the 2000 election. That is our loss. If he was the same man, this election would be one worthy of the office of the Presidency. My reason for stating that? For one thing, Senator McCain's claim that Senator Obama has 'forced' Senator McCain to lower the level of nation discourse to name calling, character assassination, and plain-old lies, (I would be politically correct and call them "falsehoods", but that just pisses me off) because Senator Obama has "refused" to join Mr. McCain at the townhall meetings is a ridiculous notion. (It reminds me of the schoolyard bully grabbing your hand and saying "Stop hitting yourself, stop hitting yourself.) Mr. McCain, your choices are, indeed, YOUR choices. You have no one to blame but yourself. I teach my fifth graders that every day. Saying that Mr. Obama wants to teach kindergartners comprehensive sex education? False. Senator Obama wants to teach kindergartners about saying no to strangers and understanding that bad touches are a bad thing. However, Senator Obama has NOT struck back by saying that Mr. McCain is FOR child molesters. (That kind of logic is beneath Senator Obama but apparently NOT beneath Senator McCain)
Govenor Palin. See, the thing is, it would appear that Senator McCain merely wanted a woman on the ticket. There are NUMEROUS Republican women who have years of experience in public service and who are actually literally ready for the office of the Presidency. The fact of the matter is that Sen. Obama has worked on Foreign Affairs committees, Health Care committees and numerous other committees which at the very least mean that Sen. Obama is familiar with what the President needs to be dealing with. I find that even as I type this, I can't even coherently type all of the issues that I have with Ms. Palin. I will however quote John McCain in his description of this opponents last fall. Being the mayor of a town for a small time and the governor of a state for a small time does not make someone ready to be President.
Senator's Biden and Obama are respectable candidates, too. The thing about these two men is that they recognize something that I have realized slowly over the past few months. In real life, not in speeches or in theory or in the official party line, in REAL life, there are very few black and whites. Is abortion ALWAYS wrong? Is increasing taxes always the wrong thing to do? Should health care issues be handled by individuals, or should we joing the 21st century and realize that we are one of only TWO countries (in the whole world) that doesn't view health care as a right, but a priviledge. These gentlemen see that there are myriad views and perspectives and that while it may be a more difficult task, for the future of our country, maybe we should stop trying to simplify things and actually address the nuances and subtlties of the issues. (See here for a great example from Senator Biden.)
I will try to post more about why I am voting for Senator Obama and Senator Biden, but for now I want to talk about something that really bothers me.
The press.
The media has often been referred to as 'the fourth branch' of the government. It is supposed to be an additional support in our system of checks and balances. It has become apparent that this branch has become nothing more then dead weight. It should not be the candidates jobs to fact check each other. We should not depend on Senators Obama and Biden to point out in their every interview that Gov. Palin was FOR the Bridge to Nowhere before she was against it, and that even when she was against it, she still took the money, and has a record as receiving more earmarks than most governors in the country. The media should point in every headline and in every major story that Senator McCain's add about sex education is at the very least misleading and pushes the very bounds of taste and integrity. Neither party, none of the candidates should be allowed to get away with out and out ridiculous statements. (For example, saying that because Gov. Palin can see Russian from her state, she is ready to deal with foreign affairs. That is an offensively insulting statement, and it proves that those who utter it are unworthy of the office of the Presidency.) But, my point is NOT that Mr. McCain and Ms. Palin are making ridiculous statements. (That should be obvious.) What outrages me is that the media reports that they are saying things like that without pointing out the ridiculousness of the statements. The medias job is to report the TRUTH, not what the candidates are saying. For example, Senator Obama claims that Senator McCain is going to only give tax relief to the richest Americans, and to major coporations. Is this true? It should NOT be up to Senator McCain to prove or disprove this. It should NOT be up to Senator Obama to prove that he does not want to raise taxes on those making less than $250,000. However, the media is not doing a damn thing to verify the truth behind the claims on either side of the aisle.
I'm mad. I'm mad as hell at what this election has become about, but I'm furious that the media is not only allowing it, but perpetuating it.
Please. Vote for Senators Obama and Biden. Our country, our children, and the entire WORLD depends upon it.
Thanks,
Tommy
So, it's been a while, no?
Yeah, sorry about that.
Last time I posted was sometime last school year. (I think it was near the end of the year, at least.) Obviously a lot has changed since then. I taught summer school, celebrated my daughter's first birthday, celebrated my second wedding anniversary, turned 30, went on a family vacation, and saw My Morning Jacket in concert. (It was GREAT.)
So, in case you haven't noticed, there's this election going on. And, since I kind of pay a little attention to it, I thought I might jot down a few notes here. Now, nothing I right here originates with me. Most of what I will be writing can be found, albeit better written, somewhere else on the internet. I just wanted to put what I thought went well together, here.
So, with that in mind, I will now give my two cents.
I have just a couple of thoughts on the candidates, and the majority of my focus will be on something else.
Senator McCain is a great American hero. He fought hard for our country in the military, and served our country admirably for many years as an elected official. For these years of service, we do owe Mr. McCain a debt of gratitude. We do NOT owe him our votes for President of the United States. Senator McCain has disappointed me a great deal in the past year or so. The John McCain we see now is NOT the John McCain we saw in the 2000 election. That is our loss. If he was the same man, this election would be one worthy of the office of the Presidency. My reason for stating that? For one thing, Senator McCain's claim that Senator Obama has 'forced' Senator McCain to lower the level of nation discourse to name calling, character assassination, and plain-old lies, (I would be politically correct and call them "falsehoods", but that just pisses me off) because Senator Obama has "refused" to join Mr. McCain at the townhall meetings is a ridiculous notion. (It reminds me of the schoolyard bully grabbing your hand and saying "Stop hitting yourself, stop hitting yourself.) Mr. McCain, your choices are, indeed, YOUR choices. You have no one to blame but yourself. I teach my fifth graders that every day. Saying that Mr. Obama wants to teach kindergartners comprehensive sex education? False. Senator Obama wants to teach kindergartners about saying no to strangers and understanding that bad touches are a bad thing. However, Senator Obama has NOT struck back by saying that Mr. McCain is FOR child molesters. (That kind of logic is beneath Senator Obama but apparently NOT beneath Senator McCain)
Govenor Palin. See, the thing is, it would appear that Senator McCain merely wanted a woman on the ticket. There are NUMEROUS Republican women who have years of experience in public service and who are actually literally ready for the office of the Presidency. The fact of the matter is that Sen. Obama has worked on Foreign Affairs committees, Health Care committees and numerous other committees which at the very least mean that Sen. Obama is familiar with what the President needs to be dealing with. I find that even as I type this, I can't even coherently type all of the issues that I have with Ms. Palin. I will however quote John McCain in his description of this opponents last fall. Being the mayor of a town for a small time and the governor of a state for a small time does not make someone ready to be President.
Senator's Biden and Obama are respectable candidates, too. The thing about these two men is that they recognize something that I have realized slowly over the past few months. In real life, not in speeches or in theory or in the official party line, in REAL life, there are very few black and whites. Is abortion ALWAYS wrong? Is increasing taxes always the wrong thing to do? Should health care issues be handled by individuals, or should we joing the 21st century and realize that we are one of only TWO countries (in the whole world) that doesn't view health care as a right, but a priviledge. These gentlemen see that there are myriad views and perspectives and that while it may be a more difficult task, for the future of our country, maybe we should stop trying to simplify things and actually address the nuances and subtlties of the issues. (See here for a great example from Senator Biden.)
I will try to post more about why I am voting for Senator Obama and Senator Biden, but for now I want to talk about something that really bothers me.
The press.
The media has often been referred to as 'the fourth branch' of the government. It is supposed to be an additional support in our system of checks and balances. It has become apparent that this branch has become nothing more then dead weight. It should not be the candidates jobs to fact check each other. We should not depend on Senators Obama and Biden to point out in their every interview that Gov. Palin was FOR the Bridge to Nowhere before she was against it, and that even when she was against it, she still took the money, and has a record as receiving more earmarks than most governors in the country. The media should point in every headline and in every major story that Senator McCain's add about sex education is at the very least misleading and pushes the very bounds of taste and integrity. Neither party, none of the candidates should be allowed to get away with out and out ridiculous statements. (For example, saying that because Gov. Palin can see Russian from her state, she is ready to deal with foreign affairs. That is an offensively insulting statement, and it proves that those who utter it are unworthy of the office of the Presidency.) But, my point is NOT that Mr. McCain and Ms. Palin are making ridiculous statements. (That should be obvious.) What outrages me is that the media reports that they are saying things like that without pointing out the ridiculousness of the statements. The medias job is to report the TRUTH, not what the candidates are saying. For example, Senator Obama claims that Senator McCain is going to only give tax relief to the richest Americans, and to major coporations. Is this true? It should NOT be up to Senator McCain to prove or disprove this. It should NOT be up to Senator Obama to prove that he does not want to raise taxes on those making less than $250,000. However, the media is not doing a damn thing to verify the truth behind the claims on either side of the aisle.
I'm mad. I'm mad as hell at what this election has become about, but I'm furious that the media is not only allowing it, but perpetuating it.
Please. Vote for Senators Obama and Biden. Our country, our children, and the entire WORLD depends upon it.
Thanks,
Tommy
Friday, April 25, 2008
Occupational Hazards...
So, we took the fifth graders to the Kansas City Zoo today.
And, let me just say, you haven't lived until you've spent the whole day with forty-five 11 years olds and a gorilla playing with himself.
Ah, teachable moments.
More later...
Tommy
And, let me just say, you haven't lived until you've spent the whole day with forty-five 11 years olds and a gorilla playing with himself.
Ah, teachable moments.
More later...
Tommy
Monday, April 21, 2008
The Return of the Blogger
So.
Here I am.
There you are.
My wife, Bibi? Yeah, she's writing one amazing blog nowadays.
It's intimidating. I'm not bothered by the fact that my wife's blog is significantly better then mine (funnier, updated more frequently, has pictures, and is about...actual topics, etc.) but it is a bit intimidating, none the less. I think I now have performance anxiety.
I hope I don't complete this post too quickly.
Anyway.
So, I have a couple of thoughts that I would like to put down for you all to see. First off, as promised...I want to tell you all about the turn that my daytime fantasies have taken.
As I previously posted, I have always had little scenarios playing in my mind. It's always been something that I have been able to do both without any real thought, and guided actively by my own imagination.
So.
I now find myself pondering some of the strangest, darkest, and most disturbing possibilities that I've ever...well, I don't even think that I would have thought these things possible. It's not that they are particularly original, or that they fit into some really sick and demented segment of the pyschotic world. No, it's more the FREQUENCY that I find frightening.
For example, as I sit in our office, I heard a crack from the other room. In all likelyhood, it was probably Gracie playing with some blocks. (As was evidenced by her laughing hysterically shortly thereafter.) However, in the infinite span of one second between the crack of blocks and the delightfully precious squeal of laughter that followed, I was pretty sure that something had fallen, and it was Gracie's neck snapping that I heard. Just an hour ago I left to take Leo for his walk; and, as I was coming to the last corner, I was pretty sure that I would see smoke eminating from the house at the bottom of the hill. When I did round the corner, I was not relieved to see that there was no smoke, as that simply meant that I would find the bodies of my wife and daughter having died of carbon monoxide poisoning in the 25 minutes I was gone.
Or, when Bibi comes to pick me up at work. I always step outside or wait by the doors, and I'm always early.
Always.
However, if Bibi is not there--about 5 minutes before I should even expect her to be there--then I realize that it must be because of the horrible accident along the way. Some drunken douchebag who doesn't deserve to breathe the air that is trapped in our diaper pail has clearly ripped my wife and daughter from my life, and he's probably fine. In fact, he's probably not even aware that there is part of the car (or worse!!!) dragging under his barely dented car. (That a$$hole.)
I could go on. I know that when I do drive myself home, I'm going to arrive just a few seconds too late to catch the rapist/child murderer who is leaving my home dressed in a Culligan uniform. That van that drove by yesterday? The one with the ice cream menu on the side? Yeah, he's actually stalking us, timing his heinous acts just so that he'll drive by me on my way home. In fact, he'll stop at the top of the hill, watch me go in, and then smile to himself as he drives away. Don't even get me STARTED on the Schwann's man. (That bastard.)
So, as you can see, I no longer have time to imagine myself rescuing masses from terrorists or various other evil doers.
Because now?
I'm too busy imaging that they win.
All right. I was going to talk about the Polygamist's compound raid, becuase I got thoughts about that whole thing, but I think I've blogged myself silly here.
Thanks for stopping by.
Tommy
Here I am.
There you are.
My wife, Bibi? Yeah, she's writing one amazing blog nowadays.
It's intimidating. I'm not bothered by the fact that my wife's blog is significantly better then mine (funnier, updated more frequently, has pictures, and is about...actual topics, etc.) but it is a bit intimidating, none the less. I think I now have performance anxiety.
I hope I don't complete this post too quickly.
Anyway.
So, I have a couple of thoughts that I would like to put down for you all to see. First off, as promised...I want to tell you all about the turn that my daytime fantasies have taken.
As I previously posted, I have always had little scenarios playing in my mind. It's always been something that I have been able to do both without any real thought, and guided actively by my own imagination.
So.
I now find myself pondering some of the strangest, darkest, and most disturbing possibilities that I've ever...well, I don't even think that I would have thought these things possible. It's not that they are particularly original, or that they fit into some really sick and demented segment of the pyschotic world. No, it's more the FREQUENCY that I find frightening.
For example, as I sit in our office, I heard a crack from the other room. In all likelyhood, it was probably Gracie playing with some blocks. (As was evidenced by her laughing hysterically shortly thereafter.) However, in the infinite span of one second between the crack of blocks and the delightfully precious squeal of laughter that followed, I was pretty sure that something had fallen, and it was Gracie's neck snapping that I heard. Just an hour ago I left to take Leo for his walk; and, as I was coming to the last corner, I was pretty sure that I would see smoke eminating from the house at the bottom of the hill. When I did round the corner, I was not relieved to see that there was no smoke, as that simply meant that I would find the bodies of my wife and daughter having died of carbon monoxide poisoning in the 25 minutes I was gone.
Or, when Bibi comes to pick me up at work. I always step outside or wait by the doors, and I'm always early.
Always.
However, if Bibi is not there--about 5 minutes before I should even expect her to be there--then I realize that it must be because of the horrible accident along the way. Some drunken douchebag who doesn't deserve to breathe the air that is trapped in our diaper pail has clearly ripped my wife and daughter from my life, and he's probably fine. In fact, he's probably not even aware that there is part of the car (or worse!!!) dragging under his barely dented car. (That a$$hole.)
I could go on. I know that when I do drive myself home, I'm going to arrive just a few seconds too late to catch the rapist/child murderer who is leaving my home dressed in a Culligan uniform. That van that drove by yesterday? The one with the ice cream menu on the side? Yeah, he's actually stalking us, timing his heinous acts just so that he'll drive by me on my way home. In fact, he'll stop at the top of the hill, watch me go in, and then smile to himself as he drives away. Don't even get me STARTED on the Schwann's man. (That bastard.)
So, as you can see, I no longer have time to imagine myself rescuing masses from terrorists or various other evil doers.
Because now?
I'm too busy imaging that they win.
All right. I was going to talk about the Polygamist's compound raid, becuase I got thoughts about that whole thing, but I think I've blogged myself silly here.
Thanks for stopping by.
Tommy
Friday, March 14, 2008
Notes on Fatherhood...
So, at first, I thought it was normal.
I thought all new dads went through something similar to what I'm seeing, and that it was no big deal. In fact, I thought it was kind of funny--you know, a little low-grade psychosis to go with that new infant smell.
Now, I'm not so sure.
You see, as my mother would tell you, I've always had somewhat of an active imagination. As a kid, I could entertain myself for hours with or without any toys. It probably has something to do with the volume of books that I've devoured in my lifetime, but I'm sure that there is more to it than just that.
I've always been a fairly active daydreamer. It was pretty cool, because I could do it and still pay attention to whatever I was supposed to be paying attention to. In church, I used to sit in the pew imagining terrorists or unspecificed badguys (this was pre-9/11 afterall) trying to take over the church and myself leaping to the rescue. (During my Indiana Jones stage...which was pretty much the whole of my childhood and adolescence, there was always a mysteriously available bull whip conveniently located under the pew in front of me.) At school it was only different because of the plethora of availabe damsels to rescue. (There were too many old people at church, but I'd rescue them anyway--'cuz I'm cool like that.)
So, all of those daydreams were kind of cool. I'd get to look like the hero, and it would lend an air of excitment and possibility to places that weren't....that exciting. (Incidentally, when I worked at the library in college, I was always rescuing the special reserve books from bullets; how lame of a daydream is that?!)
Now, though? Well, I'm not quite ready to discuss how things have changed just yet; I'm working on how best to express it. However, in the next few days, sooner, rather than later, I hope, I'm going to let you in on how fatherhood has changed--in a pretty dramatic way for me--these frequent mental occupations.
But, more on that later...
I thought all new dads went through something similar to what I'm seeing, and that it was no big deal. In fact, I thought it was kind of funny--you know, a little low-grade psychosis to go with that new infant smell.
Now, I'm not so sure.
You see, as my mother would tell you, I've always had somewhat of an active imagination. As a kid, I could entertain myself for hours with or without any toys. It probably has something to do with the volume of books that I've devoured in my lifetime, but I'm sure that there is more to it than just that.
I've always been a fairly active daydreamer. It was pretty cool, because I could do it and still pay attention to whatever I was supposed to be paying attention to. In church, I used to sit in the pew imagining terrorists or unspecificed badguys (this was pre-9/11 afterall) trying to take over the church and myself leaping to the rescue. (During my Indiana Jones stage...which was pretty much the whole of my childhood and adolescence, there was always a mysteriously available bull whip conveniently located under the pew in front of me.) At school it was only different because of the plethora of availabe damsels to rescue. (There were too many old people at church, but I'd rescue them anyway--'cuz I'm cool like that.)
So, all of those daydreams were kind of cool. I'd get to look like the hero, and it would lend an air of excitment and possibility to places that weren't....that exciting. (Incidentally, when I worked at the library in college, I was always rescuing the special reserve books from bullets; how lame of a daydream is that?!)
Now, though? Well, I'm not quite ready to discuss how things have changed just yet; I'm working on how best to express it. However, in the next few days, sooner, rather than later, I hope, I'm going to let you in on how fatherhood has changed--in a pretty dramatic way for me--these frequent mental occupations.
But, more on that later...
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Update:
Uh...so, this morning when I said that Grace was about a half a second from crawling?
I guess I was kind of right.
She crawled tonight!!!
(c;
Tommy
I guess I was kind of right.
She crawled tonight!!!
(c;
Tommy
It's Been a While...
Gee, I think I've forgotten how to do this thing...
is anyone out there?
Well, to both of you...things are very good here. I am alive and well, Bibi is alive and well, and Grace is alive, well, and enjoying her two front teeth. (Early Christmas present for next year.) She also says, "da da" and "mamamamamama" which, you know, is really cool.
She's about a half second from crawling, which means that you can't set her down anywhere and expect her to stay there.
It's weird. I haven't blogged in so long, which means that I have literally tons of things that I should write about, but it also means I have no IDEA where to start.
So, I quit.
Just kidding.
I'll post more tonight or tomorrow once I actually put my thoughts into some semblance of order.
Thanks for stopping by!
Tommy
is anyone out there?
Well, to both of you...things are very good here. I am alive and well, Bibi is alive and well, and Grace is alive, well, and enjoying her two front teeth. (Early Christmas present for next year.) She also says, "da da" and "mamamamamama" which, you know, is really cool.
She's about a half second from crawling, which means that you can't set her down anywhere and expect her to stay there.
It's weird. I haven't blogged in so long, which means that I have literally tons of things that I should write about, but it also means I have no IDEA where to start.
So, I quit.
Just kidding.
I'll post more tonight or tomorrow once I actually put my thoughts into some semblance of order.
Thanks for stopping by!
Tommy
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